There are basically two potential reasons for needing to use the GadgetTrak app. One is if your Apple device is stolen and the other is if it is lost or misplaced.

It works by keeping a constant report of you device’s location on the Gadgetrak servers on a secure connection. There is then a report automatically run off when there is a “significant” change in its location.

If you are notified that your iPhone has changed location and you are pretty sure that it has fallen into the wrong hands then you can remotely wipe all your personal data from it before setting out trying to track it down.

The tracking is done using a combination of information; Wi-Fi positioning, GPS and mobile phone aerial positioning.

Obviously, you don’t want to lose all of these pictures, videos, music. Email contacts and files forever, so before you wipe it clean you can back up everything using a high level encryption.

If you have wiped the data and want to then alert people to the apparent theft you can remotely activate a loud siren type alarm which will work even if the phone is in silent mode. Quite how effective this would be I’m not sure, but I think that there is a chance that maybe the thief would just throw your phone away once they realize that they can’t switch the sound off. This can also be a location aid if you think that the phone is simply misplaced in your house.

Running the program uses a bit more battery power than you would otherwise use up and there are still some unanswered questions about how secure the system actually is and whether it is possible that anyone outside GadgetTrak could get hold of your location info.

The latest version of the app, GadetTrak 2, usually costs $4 but there is an offer on right now with sees it up for grabs at $1. Once you set the app up the settings can’t be changed and you will be notified is anyone changes the SIM card on your phone.

Could this be a long term solution to mobile phone theft and is it any better than MobileMe’s find my iPhone?